Women’s rights activist Malala Yousafzai, 25, has responded after Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel was criticised for ‘harassing’ her at the glitzy awards show.
Jimmy Kimmel has been branded a ‘national disgrace’ after fans claimed he ‘harassed’ Taliban shooting survivor Malala Yousafzai during a bizarre Oscars 2023 segment.
The host, 55, left the Nobel Peace Prize winner, 25, visibly uneased as he approached her during a break in proceedings and asked her an awkward question about Harry Styles and Chris Pine‘s ‘spit-gate’ drama.
The presenter read out a question from a fan named Joanne, saying: ‘She asked, your work on human rights and education for women and children is an inspiration–as the youngest Nobel prize winner in history, do you think Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine?’
Malala looked unsure and then responded: ‘I only talk about peace.’
Kimmel retorted: ‘You know what, that’s why you’re Malala and nobody else is. That’s a great answer, Malala. The winner is malala-land, everybody.’
In another awkward scene, an attendee dressed as a real-life ‘Cocaine Bear’ from the movie crawled down the aisle and began to pester Malala.
Kimmel then called out: ‘Cocaine bear, leave Malala alone!’ as the activist looked on with worry.
She responded on Twitter in the hours after the ceremony, sharing a video of the incident with Kimmel and writing: ‘Treat people with kindness️.’
Malala was a teenage education activist when the Pakistani Taliban hunted her down.
They stopped her school bus and shot her in the face in 2012. She survived and two years later won the Nobel Peace Prize.
She is known for human rights advocacy, and campaigns for the education of women and children in Pakistan.
Fans quickly took to social media to slam Kimmel’s ‘disrespectful’ behaviour, with one writing: ‘I love @jimmykimmel but his interaction with Malala was one of the worst and most painful things I’ve seen on TV in so many years.’
Another wrote: ‘Watching the #Oscars from home, I was absolutely horrified with the interaction between @jimmykimmel and @Malala Jimmy, you were incredibly disrespectful.
One fan typed: ‘jimmy kimmel is a national disgrace. this woman deserves better’ while a second wrote: ‘why did jimmy kimmel and the cocaine bear just harass malala oh my god leave her alone.’
